Funding to support the delivery of community nursing services to frail older people, people with disabilities and their carers living in the community in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $249,400
- Application opened: 11 April 2025
- Application closed: 8 May 2025
Program objective
Hunter New England Local Health District is seeking grant applications from not-for-profit non-government organisations to deliver community nursing services to frail older people, people with disabilities and their carers living in the community in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region.
The objective of the grant is to deliver high-quality, evidence-based community nursing services to older and disabled clients, centred around a wellness and reablement framework with a person-centred care approach.
Applicant organisations must hold accreditation against Aged Care Quality Standards and NDIS Practice Standards.
This program is administered by Hunter New England Local Health District.
This program is funded by NSW Health.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the grant your organisation must:
- Be a non-government organisation
- Be a not-for-profit organisation
- Ensure the activity is delivered within the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region
- Be a current contracted provider of community nursing care under Commonwealth Home Support Package (CHSP) or Home Care Packages (HCP)
- Be accredited against the following Standards:
- Aged Care Quality Standards Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- NDIS Practice Standards
- Submit your application by the due date
- Submit your application in full
You can be part of a joint (consortium) application; however, a ‘lead’ entity should be identified. The lead entity will enter into the funding agreement and assume responsibility for performance.
Who can’t apply
You cannot apply if you are:
- an individual/s
- a Federal, State or local government agency or body or an affiliate health organisation
a for-profit organisation
Types of projects funded under this grant
The grant funding supports delivery of community nursing outreach services to frail older people, people with disabilities and their carers living in the community, in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region.
The successful applicant organisation will be required to collaborate with HNELHD Integrated Care Service Hunter & Lower Mid North Coast team to develop a framework of cooperation (to accept referrals).
The organisation must be accredited against Aged Care Quality Standards and NDIS Practice Standards.
Activity background
Aged care and disability community nursing for care related to maintenance of ongoing client clinical needs are primarily funded via Commonwealth programmes including the Commonwealth Home Support programme (CHSP), Home Care packages (HCP) and the National Disability Insurance scheme (NDIS).
This grant targets frail aged and disabled clients who require immediate community nursing care not able to be accessed through the clients existing Commonwealth supports or who have acute care needs.
Community nursing activities typically include wound care, diabetic management, IDC management, continence assessment, medication management, bowel care, general assessment and client education.
Target Groups for service
The target group for this service are frail, aged and disabled clients who require community nursing care not able to be accessed by Commonwealth supports. Priority population groups also include CALD and Aboriginal people.
The service must establish partnership and referral pathways with HNELHD.
This service will be delivered as an outreach service primarily in clients’ homes.
What your application needs to include
You can download the full grant guidelines, application form and budget template:
Key resources supporting the delivery of safe, high quality patient centred community nursing care for frail, aged and disabled clients can be found:
Questions about the grant opportunity emailed to the Contracts inbox will be responded to in the "what your application needs to include" section.
Prepare your application with this checklist
Step I. Confirm your organisations eligibility
Ensure your organisations grant proposal meets the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 2.1 of these guidelines. Organisation eligibility checks will be undertaken by HNELHD.
Step 2: Prepare your application
Please read all information before applying. Organisations should not assume the grant assessment panel has prior knowledge of any organisation or the services it provides. Please respond to the grant requirements in detail within the stated word guide.
Please use the application form listed under this grant on the Grants and funding | NSW Government website and ensure all required information is included in your application.
Step 3. Submit the application
Organisations may submit applications anytime from 12am on the opening date of Friday 11 April 2025 up to and no later than the application closing date of 11:59 pm on Thursday 8 May 2025.
Applications must be submitted to HNELHD-Contracts@health.nsw.gov.au.
Please use subject heading in your application email: Submission Community Nursing NGO grant application
Applications must include:
- Application form
- Proposed budget (using attached template) with budget notes
- Organisation constitution or rules
- Organisation strategic plan (if available)
- Latest annual report including audited financial statements for the latest financial year.
- Evidence of workers compensation, professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
- Accreditation certificates
- Contact details for 2 Referees
Applications received after the closing date will be registered as a late response. HNELHD may allow assessment of late responses if there is evidence that the late submission is due to circumstances outside the control of the applying organisation.
HNELHD will provide confirmation of each received application via return email to the applying organisation. Organisations that do not receive confirmation of receipt are to consider the application incomplete and responsible for contacting HNELHD.
Applicants are to note that applications are made at their own cost.
Address the eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the grant your organisation must:
- Be a non-government organisation
- Be a not-for-profit organisation
- Ensure the activity is delivered within the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region
- Be a current contracted provider of community nursing care under Commonwealth Home Support Package (CHSP) or Home Care Packages (HCP)
- Be accredited against Aged Care Quality Standards and NDIS Practice Standards
- Submit your application by the due date
- Submit your application in full
Address the assessment criteria
This is an open, competitive grant program. Applications will be assessed and competitively ranked against the assessment criteria below.
- Demonstrated experience in aged and disabled community nursing service delivery (300 words)
- Capacity to provide culturally safe, accessible services to priority population groups (300 words)
- Effective organisational governance (300 words)
- Project proposal aligned with the objectives of the grant (400 words)
- Implementation plan including risk management identification and mitigation (500 words)
- Budget (complete Budget template)
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by the Minister for Health.
The applications will be assessed and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
The successful applicant is required to enter into an NSW Health grant funding agreement with HNELHD for the funds to be awarded and released. A copy of the long form agreement template and standard conditions can be found within the Administration of NSW Health Grant Funding for Non-Government Organisations policy. Grant agreements will include:
- Activity reporting requirements
- Key performance indicators, target and milestones
- Financial reporting requirements
- Requirements regarding repayment of unspent funding
- Acknowledgement of the financial support by the NSW government
- Grantees responsibility for costs above the agreed funding amount or outside the agreed project scope
Project variations may be accepted where the requested change aligns with the Program Guidelines and the original intent of the approved project.
Support and contact
For enquiries relating to resources supporting the delivery of safe, high quality patient centred community nursing care for frail, aged and disabled clients see:
For enquiries relating to contract conditions and grant administration guidelines see: NSW Health Grant administration policy
To protect the integrity of the assessment process, all communications must be directed to the HNELHD-Contracts@health.nsw.gov.au email inbox with subject line: Submission Community Nursing NGO grant application query.
Grant questions emailed to the Contracts inbox will be responded to via the Frequently Asked Questions section of the grant listed on the Grants and funding | NSW Government website.
The final date for questions will be 7 working days prior to submission date to allow time to publish answers on the FAQ
Program evaluation
A program evaluation in relation to the funded activities and health outcomes to be submitted at the end of the funding period